Firefighters with the St. John’s Regional Fire Department (SJRFD) made quick work of a fire on Livingstone Street at about 3:00 in the afternoon on Christmas Day.

According to SJRFD Platoon Chief Mike Hall, they were notified of the fire by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) at about 2:40 p.m.. When crews arrived on the scene they found smoke coming from a vacant home that had been boarded up.

Firefighters entered the three-storey home and found some contents of a room on fire on the top floor. Crews had to remove plywood from the windows of the home to let smoke escape as they tackled the flames inside. The home sustained fire, smoke, and water damage.

Crews were on the scene for about an hour and a half, ensuring no hot spots remained, before handing the scene to the RNC for investigation.

The fire on Christmas Day occurred adjacent to a building that was extensively damaged by fire in October of 2023. The area has been troubled in recent years by homelessness, drug abuse, and a rise in crime.